RPGA Questions

[tylermalan]

Can anyone give me some basic information on the RPGA? I'm a little confused as to what it even is...

 

[Crothian]

an organization of gmaers who all play the same modules, gain levels at the same time...and take part in the same sotry line. All characters are built using restrictive rules but it menas that any member of the RPGA can play with another group. So people can use their character at RPGA events at many different conventions and such.

 

[William Ronald]

You can learn more by visiting the RPGA homepage.

The RPGA does have several ongoing campaigns where volunteers run games or gaming conventions. So, it is a good way to meet some fellow gamers.

 

[kenobi65]

Fundamentally, the RPGA is WotC's Organized Play group for role-playing games (analagous to the role that DCI plays for Magic: the Gathering). It exists to promote play of RPGs, specifically WotC's RPGs and others that use the D20 system.

They do this through creating and adminstering a number of different RPG campaigns that you can play in.

RPGA directly oversees four different ongoing campaigns:
- Living Greyhawk
- Legacy of the Green Regent (set in Forgotten Realms, but being wrapped up right now)
- Mark of Heroes (set in Eberron)
- Living Force (Star Wars, also nearing its conclusion)

Each of these campaigns release new adventures on a regular basis (typically a dozen or more a year); those adventures can be played at conventions, game days (like at your FLGS), or even with your home group. At many big RPG conventions, you'll see a significant RPGA presence; at a con like GenCon or Origins, there'll be hundreds of tables of RPGA games played.

In "Living" campaigns, you create a PC at 1st level, just like in your home game. You can then play that PC in any adventure for that campaign, anywhere in the world that you can find a game. So, if you create a Living Greyhawk character to play at your FLGS, you can play that same character in Living Greyhawk adventures at GenCon, or at home.

Green Regent and Mark of Heroes work a little differently. They're called "D&D Campaigns", and one of the biggest differences is that every PC gets "advanced" to a higher level on a regular basis in these. Thus, at any given time, all the PCs in Mark of Heroes are going to be roughly the same level (I think that's what Crothian was referring to by "gain levels at the same time"...and that only happens in these two campaigns. In Living campaigns, you generally only gain new levels for your PC through play and XP awards, and you'll see a wide range of different-leveled PCs.)

RPGA also serves as the distribution point for several other "Living" campaigns that are developed by either (a) other publishing companies, using D20, or (b) a private group, in the case of Living Death:

- Living Arcanis (D&D, set in Paradigm Concepts' Arcanis)
- Living Kingdoms of Kalamar (D&D, set in Kenzer & Co.'s Kalamar)
- Living Death (variant D&D, set in a revised version of the old Ravenloft "Masque of the Red Death" 1890s gothic horror setting)
- Living Spycraft (modern espionage, set in AEG's Spycraft setting)

As Crothian mentioned, all of these campaigns have more restrictive rules on character generation and advancement than you'd likely have in your home campaign. Also, the RPGA insists that, when you run an RPGA adventure, you (as the DM) run it "as written", and don't change encounters, modify rewards, etc. All of this helps to make sure that the PCs can be portable, and that the game experience is reasonably consistent.

The RPGA used to charge a yearly membership fee (and that used to cover a subscription to Polyhedron magazine); membership has been free for several years now. If you want to play, all you need is a membership number (which you can get when you attend your first RPGA event). If you want to set up your own events (like running stuff for your home group), you need to pass the "Herald-Level GM" test, which is also free.

William Ronald pointed you to the RPGA's main page; you may also find their Newcomer's Page useful.

Hope this helps!

 

[D'karr]

The RPGA used to charge a yearly membership fee (and that used to cover a subscription to Polyhedron magazine); membership has been free for several years now. If you want to play, all you need is a membership number (which you can get when you attend your first RPGA event). If you want to set up your own events (like running stuff for your home group), you need to pass the "Herald-Level GM" test, which is also free.

Kenobi pointed out the biggest challenge to gaining membership into the RPGA. To become a member you MUST get a membership card and those are only available at RPGA events. If there are no events local to you this can become a hassle.

So your first step is to find an event - Go to the Events Calendar

Play a game at that event and get an RPGA Number for yourself. Then take the Herald-Level Game Master Test. Then you can organize your own RPGA Sanctioned Home Games.

That way you have access to all of the RPGA adventures.

If you plan to run RPGA adventures at your home games you will need to get RPGA Numbers for at least 4 other players from your group. The minimum table size for RPGA Events is 4 players and the Max is 6.

Hope that preliminary information helps.

 

[tylermalan]

You know why that sucks? Because I live in ALASKA, and man, there is NOTHING up here. Enough complaining though, so if I go to an event and get a number, can I get numbers for my players, or do they have to come to the events also?

 

[Crothian]

You should be able to get a card through the mail without the need to goto an event. THe way I got a number and card was to play in an event that we ran ourselves. It might be that one person needs to goto an event to get the card and then they can run for others and get them cards.

 

[Glyfair]

Kenobi pointed out the biggest challenge to gaining membership into the RPGA. To become a member you MUST get a membership card and those are only available at RPGA events. If there are no events local to you this can become a hassle.

It used to be that if you took and passed the Herald GM test (which you could take as many times as you'd like), you would be given a membership number and sent a card. Unfortunately, that was recently taken away. You can only take the test if you are already an RPGA member.

 

[kenobi65]

You know why that sucks? Because I live in ALASKA, and man, there is NOTHING up here. Enough complaining though, so if I go to an event and get a number, can I get numbers for my players, or do they have to come to the events also?

If you can get a membership number, then pass the Herald-level exam, when you order an event to run for your players, you can request additional membership cards for your players.

That said, I've got a couple of spare blank membership application cards. If you'd like, I'd be willing to mail one to you to fill out for yourself.

 

[William Ronald]

You should be able to get a card through the mail without the need to goto an event. THe way I got a number and card was to play in an event that we ran ourselves. It might be that one person needs to goto an event to get the card and then they can run for others and get them cards.

This might be a good approach. Possibly, someone can attend an event and begin organizing events in Anchorage.

The RPGA depends greatly on volunteer efforts. Now, I don't know if we have any Alaskan members who are RPGA members, but it would be great if one could show up on this thread.

Possibly someone from the RPGA might see this thread.

Also, you can visit the RPGA Messageboards and check those out.